Category: What’s New?

Here is what the NY Literary Magazine had to say about Shadow of Athena:

“Elena Douglas brings a fresh and creative voice to the Historical Fiction scene. Shadow of Athena is a splendid, riveting novel contrived of fabulous, highly-detailed world building, believable characters, and a unique, engaging plot. Readers will be captivated by both the exciting adventures and the compelling romance. Thoroughly enjoyable. A recommended read!” – NY Literary Magazine

Sadly, my publisher is going out of business and pulling all its books out of circulation. Needless to say, this is discouraging news. I’m not quite sure what it means for Shadow of Athena. I may have to sell my books independently for a while. I will post a link as soon as I have figured out where prospective readers can get my books. In the future I will be seeking a new publisher.

In the meantime, if you have not already bought Shadow of Athena and intend to do so, do it NOW! The books will be pulled from circulation soon. If you try to get the book and are unable to do so, please let me know. I will be ordering copies and will have some on hand.

I am still planning to have a scheduled book-signing at a Barnes & Noble in Minneapolis on February 28, 2018, because the books for that event have already been ordered.

Someone who read my book asked what the Phoenician ship that Marpessa and Arion traveled on looked like. So here is a picture. If any of my readers have questions about SHADOW OF ATHENA, I would welcome them. Click on this link and it will take you right to the Goodreads page where I answer questions. https://www.goodreads.com/author/16986460.Elena_Douglas/questions

My childhood friend, Ann Metlay of Cottonwood, Arizona, has forged a new career as an artist in a unique medium. Ann creates sculptures from wood she finds in the desert and woodlands near her home. Here is how she describes her work: “I see myself as an assemblage artist, not a sculptor. Nature shapes every piece of wood I find. Using a dremel, a sander, dental picks, wire brushes, and sandpaper, I clean off the mud and dried bits of plant life from each piece I collect. I use primarily papier mache to join these elements into sculptures, where the lines of a palo verde branch gossip with the nubs of cedar bark to form couplings of organic beauty.”

She has created some interesting and truly beautiful works of art. She has also posted a review of my novel SHADOW OF ATHENA in her blog. Check out her website here: Adrift: Desert Wood Assemblages

Ah, summer! We are on our annual camping trip. As twilight falls, I crouch on the shore of a beautiful lake in the Sierras. Before me is the cooking pot in which I made mac and cheese, and it’s very messy, with pasta and congealed cheddar sticking to the bottom and sides. How to clean it? I find myself thinking of the characters of my novels, all of which take place in antiquity, without—of course—any modern conveniences. In most of my stories, my characters have had to survive under very primitive circumstances. How did they cope with a dirty cooking pot? To be sure, they didn’t make mac and cheese, but a greasy stew, where some of the meat stuck to the bottom, would present much the same problem. Perhaps they too crouched on the shore of a lake or stream and used what tools nature provided. I dip my fingers into damp, coarse sand and begin scouring. I can easily imagine the heroines of my stories and their real-life counterparts doing this same chore in the same way. The thought transports me to another world—their world.

The cleanup is surprisingly quick. The sand as an abrasive is not only very efficient but good for the environment as well—no detergent needed. (Note: Do not try this with a non-stick pan!)

Night has fallen. With my clean pot I walk back to my campsite, not using a flashlight. The darkness hones my night vision. I treasure occasions like this where my mind can leap across millennia to commune with the people of ancient times who walked through forests and mountains guided by the sun, and made their way at night without artificial light, aided only by the moon and stars.